Tips To Find A Gift That Lasts

I look at holiday gifting not only as a time for fun gifts but also to invest in practical gifts that can be enjoyed past the holidays. On my top holiday shopping tips is to look at the full list of what you, your family and loved ones need and make sure to include those in gift lists as well.

For example, woodworking equipment to work on family DIY projects? How about new cooking appliances for family cooking projects? What self improvement do you and your family want to accomplish over the year? Or does someone on your gift list want to find ways to read more, so maybe a Kindle would be a gift of reading? One thing I hear from many people is that they need an upgrade mobile device, a great holiday fit is a new tablet or laptop (especially with all of the holiday deals!). Most of all, don’t forget to include charity in gift giving. We ask our kids to help identify charities that they want to “gift” such as Toys For Tots and many others.

Health and wellness are tops on the priority list not just for our family but also many of our loved ones. So we also look into that category for gifts. One gift idea is buying your family a membership to a local health club as a way to gift fitness throughout the year. Or how about gifting sports related items for loved ones who wants to take up a new sport (for example, new running sneakers)? We are also looking giving our kids a membership to the local climbing gym as a fun family activity that also involves fitness. A mom friend of mine wants to do yoga but does not have the time to attend classes, so an at-home yoga program would be a great holiday gift for her.

Dental health is a gift that lasts because smiles are so priceless. I am looking into a new electronic toothbrush for my husband who wants a quick and effective way to brush in the morning. We are also looking into smart toothbrushes for our kids so they can grade their own brushing (leaving mom and dad out of it!). They like anything that connects to apps so smart toothbrushes could make brushing more fun for them. My younger son has seen my older son wearing Teen Invisalign and wants them when he is ready for them. He said it would be a giftnot to wear painful metal braces!

What other holiday gifts do you know of that can last throughout the year?

Beth Blecherman a.k.a “TechMama”

TECH BLOGGER: Shares straight talk and tips on tech, lifestyle and travel across many social media platforms including blog TechMamas.com and Twitter @TechMama. She is well know for past articles in Mashable, Laptop Magazine and Cool Mom Tech and Dot Complicated.

INFLUENCER & SPOKESPERSON: TechMamas.com media coverage includes Time.com, Forbes.com, PCMag, Parents.com, WorkingMother and more. Beth has represented many top brands as a Spokesperson online and on TV.

TECH CONSULTANT: Consults with businesses and tech startups on UX design, mobile app testing, growth marketing, social media strategy, marketing automation and online branding. Led social media campaigns by working with brands to reach their marketing goals.

PAST: Senior Manager of Business Process Integrity at Deloitte, Co-Founder of hyper-local national mom blog network called Silicon Valley Moms Group - sold to Technorati.